Project Management
The Lead
HOK design for University at Buffalo's Medical School unveiled
April 16, 2013 4:16 pm | News | Comments
The University at Buffalo (UB) has unveiled HOK's design for its new School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences building on the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus. The seven-story, 500,000 ft2 medical school will be one of the largest buildings constructed in Buffalo in decades.
Save the Date: Laboratory Design Conference Spring 2013
October 16, 2012 12:26 pm | News | Comments
The annual Laboratory Design Conference, sponsored by Advantage Business Media and Laboratory...
Research team creates advanced modeling for construction
October 1, 2012 11:40 am | News | CommentsA team led by Virginia Tech professor of civil and environmental engineering Mani Golparvar-Fardan...
Lab of the Year High Honors: Innovative incubator sets tone for new Kansas enterprises
June 15, 2012 9:18 am | by Julie Higginbotham | Articles | CommentsKansas Bioscience Park, Venture Accelerator, Olathe. $11.1 million, 38,750-ft 2 facility (two...
Georgia Tech CNES team named builders of the year by Gilbane
May 8, 2013 2:54 pm | News | CommentsIn recognition of the team’s innovative use of energy modeling, close collaboration with the client and architect, and outstanding quality and safety records, the Carbon Neutral Energy Solutions (CNES) Laboratory at the Georgia Institute of Technology wins Gilbane’s coveted award.
Howard University to break ground on IRB
April 16, 2013 4:12 pm | News | CommentsHoward University and Turner Construction Company, along with the project team of Brailsford & Dunlavey, HDR Architecture, and Lance Bailey & Associates, will break ground on a new Interdisciplinary Research Building (IRB) on April 18, 2013.
TAP BIM award recipients announced
April 16, 2013 4:02 pm | News | CommentsAIA announced the winners of the 2013 AIA TAP BIM Awards program, which highlights best practices in the utilization of BIM technology. The 2013 AIA TAP BIM Award recipient is the Health Science Education Building, Pheomix Biomedical Campus, Los Angeles. The winners will be honored during the AIA National Convention in Denver on June 19, 2013.
Lab Design Conference Room Discount Ends Soon
February 22, 2013 3:08 pm | News | CommentsThe annual Laboratory Design Conference will be held April 8-10, 2013 at the JW Marriott Houston. The discounted room block rate ends March 15, 2013. Attendees and those who are considering attending are encouraged to make a reservation today to ensure accomodations at the conference rate.
Five steps to successfully commissioning complex building types
February 8, 2013 11:53 am | by Jim Contratto | Articles | CommentsWhether it’s a new, greenfield hospital, renovation of an existing laboratory, or expansion of a manufacturing facility, complex building systems in complex building types are designed to perform at high levels. However, if not commissioned properly, the high-performing facility you thought was being built could be severely underperforming.
Awards recognize the best in sustainable labs
December 12, 2012 2:50 pm | Articles | CommentsI2SL, in partnership with R&D Magazine and Laboratory Design, is pleased to acknowledge the winners of the fifth annual Go Beyond Awards. Go Beyond Award winners show their commitment to the goals of excellence in sustainability in laboratory and other high-technology facility projects by going beyond the facility itself.
Abstracts highlight laboratory sustainability conference
December 12, 2012 2:06 pm | by Phil Wirdzek | Articles | CommentsIn 2012, the International Institute for Sustainable Laboratories (I2SL) continued to enrich and expand the Laboratories for the 21st Century (Labs21) Annual Conference, made possible through its co-sponsorship agreement with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy.
Using BIM for BAM to create higher-performing buildings
December 12, 2012 11:56 am | by Renee Azerbegi, CEM, LEED-AP | Articles | CommentsAs we move toward carbon-neutral buildings by 2030, optimizing all aspects of energy usage, including the programs that we use to model building performance, will be key. Part of the answer to creating carbon neutral buildings will be the widespread adoption of building analytical modeling (BAM) to create higher-performing buildings using Building Information Modeling (BIM).
Roof research reveals complex dynamics of green
November 6, 2012 10:07 am | News | CommentsTwo recent studies add data to the ongoing quest for the best sustainable roofing design strategies. A German analysis indicates that solar cells have a 6% higher electrical output if they are combined with a green (planted) roof, compared with a more standard bitumen roof.
Get with the program: Planning for renovation
October 11, 2012 1:29 pm | by Charles A. Johnsrud, RA, Johnsrud Architects | Articles | CommentsThere is a time-honored process for the creation of a new building or renovation of an existing one. However, over the past decade, new factors have emerged that influence the design process. Alternative techniques have been developed in response, to ensure an effective result.
Wayne State University, Multidisciplinary Biomedical Research Building, Detroit.
August 14, 2012 10:43 am | News | CommentsFormer Dalgleish Cadillac building in Midtown Detroit will be refashioned as a major center for biomedical research in this multi-phase construction project. Funding includes $30 million from the state of Michigan, combined with $63 million in private funding. Demolition of a nearby building to make room for a parking lot is underway.
Doing more with less: The ups and downs of modern laboratory design
August 9, 2012 11:41 am | by Lindsay Hock | Articles | CommentsIn tough economic times, construction projects often are early victims to budget cuts. During the recent recession, research laboratories were no exception. Many laboratory construction projects were delayed or canceled. However, a majority of architectural, engineering, and construction (AEC) firms surveyed by R&D Magazine say the laboratory construction business is picking up again.
Lab of the Year: Wisconsin project celebrates public-private synergy
June 15, 2012 9:36 am | by Julie Higginbotham | Articles | CommentsThis 330,000-ft 2 , $175.3-million facility, focused on biology, information technology, and engineering, includes an underground research floor, three research floors, a ground-level "Town Center," an auxiliary service building, and a mechanical penthouse. Its unusual and effective building organization, strong sense of public outreach, and high degree of flexibility and social engineering led judges to honor the project as Laboratory of the Year 2012.
Post-conference materials from Lab Design Pittsburgh available
May 15, 2012 9:01 am | News | CommentsPDF files of all the presentations from the recent Pittsburgh Laboratory Design Conference are now available for purchase on either an individual-use or organizationwide-use basis.
Construction outlook optimistic: Report
April 3, 2012 10:42 am | News | CommentsThe 2012 Construction Outlook Report for the first quarter, prepared by FMI, a management consulting and investment banking firm focused on engineering and construction, predicts a 5% increase in total construction put in place for 2012 compared with 2011.
High-performance environmental sciences lab fosters link between education, research
December 12, 2011 7:57 am | by Thomas Kirk and Joseph DelPozzo | Articles | CommentsProviding new laboratory space for research and teaching scientists can be a daunting planning and programming challenge due to unique areas of focus and high technical standards. When the laboratory space in question is also meant to stand as the first green building on a bucolic mountainside campus, this challenge is further intensified.
Sustainable design decisions and costs in research laboratories
August 15, 2011 8:17 am | by Taylor R. Boyd, John D. Neilson, and Ellen Sisle, KlingStubbins | Articles | CommentsIt is probably safe to say that most people would not advocate deliberately damaging the environment, especially if there is no advantage in doing so. But profit and value also play a role in many of the choices we have to make. If the design solutions we advocate to help preserve the natural world are not financially feasible, they are not likely to be implemented. We have to evaluate what our ideas will cost, both initially and in the long term, as well as how well they will work.
Biomedical facility shows best of modern lab design
June 1, 2011 9:36 am | by Julie S. Higginbotham | Articles | CommentsUniv. of Southern California, The Eli and Edythe Broad CIRM Center for Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research, Los Angeles. Five stories plus a basement; 91,485 ft 2 ; $65 million. The building was funded in part by a generous $30 million donation from Eli and Edythe Broad, philanthropists well known for their commitment to art, education, science, and civic development. This LEED Gold project received a High Honors award in the 2011 Lab of the Year competition for its exemplary combination of architectural quality and laboratory design, incorporating cutting-edge engineering features such as chilled beams and an energy-efficient, double-skinned façade.
Platinum lab emphasizes practical food and beverage science
June 1, 2011 9:12 am | by Julie S. Higginbotham | Articles | CommentsUniv. of California-Davis, Teaching and Research Winery and the August A. Busch III Brewing and Food Science Laboratory (WBF). 32,334 ft 2 research and teaching facility integrating wine making, brewing and food processing applications and public outreach. $17.2 million. This project received a High Honors award in the 2011 Lab of the Year competition for its overall excellent quality in creating an environment that meets client objectives, reflects the agricultural aesthetics of its mission, and serves as an example in sustainable design, including net-zero water use and LEED Platinum certification.
Renovated Lab of the Year transforms nondescript facility
June 1, 2011 8:36 am | by Julie S. Higginbotham | Articles | CommentsUConn project successfully uses daylighting and flexible space planning to create a cell and genome sciences lab from an outdated facility, winning Renovated Lab of the Year 2011.
Sweeping Saudi project is forward-thinking, exemplary
June 1, 2011 8:08 am | by Julie S. Higginbotham, editor | Articles | CommentsIntelligent campus planning, high laboratory quality, exemplary level of sustainability, aesthetic sensitivity to the cultural context, excellent team coordination and speed of execution wins KAUST the title of Lab of the Year: New Construction for 2011.
Architecture billings hold steady
April 5, 2011 11:36 am | News | CommentsThe Architecture Billings Index of the American Institute of Architects maintained its fourth-quarter gain in January, matching revised December levels of 50.
Supreme Court OKs Columbia expansion
February 1, 2011 7:50 am | News | CommentsColumbia Univ.’s long eminent domain battle for expansion in the Manattanville neighborhood of West Harlem, New York City, can now move forward after the U.S. Supreme Court rejected an appeal to a lower court decision approving the plan.
An owner's guide to BIM: Separating fact from fiction
June 15, 2010 8:25 am | by Michael F. Cooper, PE; Brett C. Gatti; Shaun I. Rihacek; James A. Corsiglia, PE; Kirk G. Pesta, PE; and Timothy B. Reamer, PE | Articles | CommentsEveryone in the construction industry is talking about Building Information Modeling (BIM). Most architecture and engineering firms indicate that they are utilizing BIM to some degree on a percentage of their projects. But what is BIM? Does BIM mean the same thing to an architect as it does to an engineer, to a construction manager, to an owner, to facility maintenance personnel?
Vertical expansion represents impressive achievement
May 18, 2010 9:13 am | by Julie S. Higginbotham | Articles | CommentsTexas Children’s Hospital, Feigin Center vertical expansion. Project added eight floors and more than 200,000 ft 2 of space to an existing 12-floor research building. This project received an Honorable Mention in the 2010 Lab of the Year competition for its intelligent approach to the formidable task of vertical expansion.
